Twenty-three Kilograms – the magic number. That is how much airlines usually allow you to put in your suitcase when travelling to a foreign country.
But while packing my bags, I realized, that deciding which of my personal belongings fit into this suitcase, is not the hardest choice.
Travelling is basically an ecological advance. Something you borrow from the earth and the country you are travelling to. While going abroad is undoubtedly a privileged opportunity, you can choose how much you borrow and influence your ecological impact.
For me, the commitment to traveling sustainably starts before departure by deciding against the easiest option: flying. To minimize unavoidable CO2-Emissions and align with SDG 13 (Climate Action), I am choosing to travel to Hull by train. Although the journey is longer, I see this not as a burden, but as a unique chance to watch changing landscapes through the window and strike up conversations with strangers.
While the transit to your destination is a major focus, the smaller daily choices during the journey matter just as much. When traveling I always take my reusable water bottle with me and pack some snacks in my lunch box from home, so I can avoid unnecessary plastic waste. When I need to refill my bottle, I look for the nearest fountain on the app “Watrify”. That way I get to contribute not only to SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production), but to protecting Life below water (SDG 14) and Life on Land (SDG 15).
Upon arriving in Hull, I plan on traveling emission-free as well. By purchasing a “Railcard”, I can access discounted train travel to explore the wider region sustainably.
For navigating Hull`s local transit, I will rely on “Citymapper” to find the most efficient public transport routes. Additionally, using public transport is a great way to get to know the local community and places.
But the real work on site begins with the choice you make three times a day. As a vegetarian, my commitment to SDG 12 and SDG 13 is already deeply personal. By choosing a plant-based diet and continuing it when going abroad, I significantly lower my personal carbon footprint, water usage and land-use impact (SDG 15). I am also looking forward to sourcing seasonal vegetable from local farmers or saving food via “Too Good To Go” rather than relying on heavily packaged and important goods. When eating out I like to look for good options on the app “HappyCow”, to find plant-based restaurants in an unknown city.
The choice that I face as an international student is simple yet profound: do I want to leave behind a debt of drained resources or do I want to return what I borrowed with gratitude and care?
I am choosing to treat my time in Hull as a sacred loan. I want to return home with a mind full of new memories, leaving behind nothing but footprints that wash away, while actively supporting the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Source: https://sdgs.un.org/goals
